Power control method, communication device, and power control system

ABSTRACT

Power control can be performed for electronic apparatuses that are unable to connect to a network. 
     A user accesses the URL of a power supply center, and downloads an application (S 11 ). The application is downloaded for each individual electronic apparatus to be controlled. In S 12 , the user makes various settings. After the settings are complete, the power supply center  2  transmits a power-limiting signal (S 2 ), and a communication device receives the power-limiting signal (S  13 ). If it is determined in S 14  that the power-limiting function is set active, the application is started in S 16 . In S 17 , the kind of the communication that has been set is infrared. If the kind of the communication is infrared, in S 18 , a power-limiting signal is transmitted to a target electronic apparatus via infrared communication.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a power control method, acommunication device, and a power control system that are used tocontrol the power consumption of electronic apparatuses installed inhomes, for example.

BACKGROUND ART

Lately, power generation utilizing renewable energy instead of fossilfuels is being put into practical use. It is regarded as a certaintythat this trend will further strength in the future. As power generationutilizing renewable energy, photovoltaic power generation, wind powergeneration, wind power generation, biomass power generation, waveactivated power generation, and the like have been developed. Under suchcircumstances, it is desired that power consumption (load) fluctuationson the side of consumers such as ordinary homes, office buildings, andfactories be as small as possible.

Owing to the instability of the amount of power generation in caseswhere renewable energy is introduced, load leveling is required tomaintain the quality of supply power. Further, for the power supply sideas well, investments in power sources to meet load peaks can be avoided,thereby improving profitability. A next generation power network(hereinafter, referred to as smart grid), which utilizes informationtechnologies to solve problems associated with transfer of electricpower between suppliers and consumers, makes it possible to control andthereby suppress power consumption on the consumer side from thesupplier side (DR (Demand Response). For example, during times of peakpower demand, power utilities control load by changing the temperaturesettings of air conditioners in houses. Including this DR, undertakingmeasures directed toward consumers from the supply side is called DSM(Demand Side Management).

In PTL 1, it is described that a centralized power DSM controller isconnected to a DSM command station in a power company via a publicnetwork, and limitations are placed on the use of electric power by aplurality of electronic apparatuses connected to a home network in ahome. That is, it is described that the centralized power DSM controllercontrols use of electric power in accordance with the consumers' demandsand priorities. In PTL 2, it is described that the power consumption ofa plurality of appliances connected to a home network is controlled by acentral controller, each of the appliances includes a secondary battery,and during time periods of peak power usage, the appliance operates onelectric power from the secondary battery, and in other time periods,the appliance operates on electric power from a commercial power source,and the secondary battery is charged. The central controller receives apower control command from the power supplier side.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-222834

PTL 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.2001-258176

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

The techniques described in PTL 1 and PTL 2 make it necessary to controlelectronic apparatuses within the home with respect to a controllerprovided for each individual home, and connect the controller to a DSMcontrol center in the power company. Accordingly, the controller itselfis required. Further, both a network for connecting the controller tothe DSM control center, and a network for controlling the electronicapparatuses within the home with respect to the controller are required.As a result, significant changes to the existing power network arerequired, making it difficult to achieve leveling of electric power.Further, in addition to these problems, the technique using a secondarybattery described in PTL 2 also has a problem in that installation ofthe secondary battery, and control of the secondary battery becomenecessary.

Accordingly, an object is to provide a communication device that canminimize changes to the existing power network in the case of performingleveling of power consumption.

Solution to Problem

To solve the above-mentioned problems, a method according to the presentdisclosure is a power control method including the steps of:

transmitting a power control signal that controls electric power via awireless network, by a power supply center provided on a power supplyside;

receiving the power control signal, by a first communication section ofa communication device provided on a demand side; and

transmitting a remote control signal that remote-controls powerconsumption of one or a plurality of electronic apparatuses inaccordance with the received power control signal, by a secondcommunication section of the communication device.

A device according to the present disclosure is a communication deviceincluding:

a first communication section that receives a power control signal froma power supply side via a wireless network; and

a second communication section that transmits a remote control signalthat remote-controls power consumption of one or a plurality ofelectronic apparatuses in accordance with the received power controlsignal.

A system according to the present disclosure is a power control systemincluding:

a power supply center that is provided on a power supply side, andtransmits a power control signal that controls electric power via awireless network; and

a communication device that is provided on a demand side, and includes afirst communication section that receives the power control signal, anda second communication section that transmits a remote control signalthat remote-controls power consumption of one or a plurality ofelectronic apparatuses in accordance with the received power controlsignal.

Preferred aspects are as follows.

Application data for generating the remote control signal with respectto the electronic apparatus to be controlled is received and stored inadvance.

The communication device is a portable telephone that has a function ofperforming communication by an infrared ray or a radio wave.

Whether or not to perform power control is set in advance.

The first communication section receives the power control signal via aninternet.

The remote control signal transmitted by the second communicationsection uses an infrared ray or a radio wave as a medium.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to at least one embodiment, the power consumption of eachindividual home can be controlled from the supplier side even withoutprovision of a controller called smart meter. Further, even in a statein which electronic apparatuses within the home are not connected to anetwork, the power consumption of each individual electronic apparatuscan be controlled. In this way, even if the electronic apparatus itselfdoes not have the function of being able to connect to a network, areduction in power consumption can be achieved by exploiting the remotecontrol function of the electronic apparatus. Further, if a portabletelephone is used as the communication device, on the basis of a networkapplication of the portable telephone, a remote commander that can bemade subordinate to a network by controlling a communication functionincluded in the portable telephone can be easily implemented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first example of a power control system.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart used for describing operation in the firstexample.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram used for describing operation in the firstexample.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a second example of a power control system.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, examples according to the present disclosure are described.It should be noted that the description is given in the following order.

<1. First Example> <2. Second Example> <3. Modifications>

The examples described below are preferred concrete examples of theinvention. While various preferable technical limitations are given, inthe following description, the scope of the invention is not to belimited to these embodiments unless it is specifically stated that theembodiments limit the invention.

1. First Example “Example of Power Control System”

An example of a power control system is described with reference toFIG. 1. Electric power generated by a power plant 1 of a power supplieris connected to a wattmeter 4 in a home 3 via unillustrated powertransmission network and power distribution network. The power plant 1is a thermal power plant, a nuclear power plant, or the like. A powersupply center 2 that generates a command for controlling power supply inassociation with the power plant 1 is provided.

The wattmeter 4 is connected with a conversion section 5. A solarbattery 6 and a wind power generator 7 are connected to the conversionsection 5. The electric power supplied to the wattmeter 4 in the home 2from the power plant 1 is commercial alternating-current electric power.Electric power generated by the solar battery 6 and the wind powergenerator 7 is converted into alternating-current electric power in theconversion section 5, and introduced into the home while being added tothe commercial alternating-current electric power. Other than the solarbattery 6 and the win, a fuel battery, a storage battery, or the likemay be used.

The alternating-current electric power from the conversion section 5 issupplied to a switchboard (including a distribution panel) 8, and isconnected to electronic apparatuses 91, 92, . . . , 9 n via lightingcircuits and outlets taken from the switchboard 8. Examples of theseelectronic apparatuses 91 to 9 n include an air conditioner, arefrigerator, a lighting fixture, a washing machine, and a televisionreceiver. The electronic apparatuses 91 to 9 n are electronicapparatuses that are subject to power control, and not meant torepresent all electronic apparatuses within the home 2.

Further, to enable remote control by a communication device 10 (remotecontrol commander), the electronic apparatuses 91 to 9 n each have acommunication device used for remote control. Remote control by thecommunication device 10 is performed in order to control powerconsumption of the electronic apparatuses. For example, On/Off of thepower sources for the electronic apparatuses 91 to 9 n is controlled bya remote control signal from the communication device 10. Alternatively,the electronic apparatuses 91 to 9 n can be switched between a normalpower consumption mode, and a low power consumption mode in which powerconsumption is lowered.

For example, transition from the normal power consumption mode to thelow power consumption mode can be made by changing the temperaturesetting of an air conditioner during cooling to a higher temperature. Inthe case of a liquid crystal television, transition to the low powerconsumption mode can be made by lowering the illuminance of the backlight, lowering the image processing function, lowering the operatingclock frequency, and so on in comparison to the normal power consumptionmode. In the case of a lighting fixture, transition to the low powerconsumption mode can be made by lowering the brightness of lighting.When changing modes, unlike a switching operation, the transition toanother mode is controlled so as to take place gradually. This preventsdiscomfort to the user using the apparatus, and also makes it possibleto prevent abrupt fluctuations in the amount of power consumption. Inthe case of an electronic apparatus not capable of such mode change,On/Off of the power source is controlled.

The remote control of the electronic apparatuses 91 to 91 n ispreferably performed by a remote control scheme identical or similar toan existing remote control scheme. As the medium for wirelesscommunication of a remote control signal, an infrared ray or radio waveis used. As the remote control scheme using an infrared ray, an existingscheme used for the electronic apparatus may be used. For televisionreceivers, air conditioners, lighting fixtures, and the like, remotecontrol schemes using infrared rays have already been put into practicaluse. A new communication scheme different from existing ones may be alsoadopted.

As the remote control scheme using a radio wave, Bluetooth or Zigbee canbe used. The Bluetooth scheme is applied to multimedia communications,and enables communications via one-to-many connection. The ZigBee schemeuses the physical layer of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers) 802.15.4. The IEEE802.15.4 is the name of ashort-range wireless network standard called PAN (Personal Area Network)or W (Wireless) PAN.

These wireless communication schemes using radio waves can preventwiretapping and erroneous connections, thereby ensuring security. Thatis, an example of electronic apparatus that can be remote-controlled bythe communication device 10 is a specific one or plurality of electronicapparatuses within the home 3. Which electronic apparatus to control isset when the communication device 10 downloads the application program.In the case of remote-controlling a plurality of electronic apparatuses,target electronic apparatuses are selected manually or automatically.

Further, as compared with infrared communication schemes, wirelesscommunication schemes using radio waves have the advantage of being ableto reach out-of-sight areas such as a different room. In the case of anaverage-size detached home, the remote control signal on a radio wavecan be transmitted throughout the entire area within the home, and thuseven electronic apparatuses to be controlled which are installed atdistant locations can be remote-controlled by a single communicationdevice 10.

The electronic apparatuses 91 to 9 n may be connected with a secondarybattery so that power supply can be received from the secondary battery.In cases where it is not possible to obtain an adequate function inrelation to the amount of power consumption to be reduced, theelectronic apparatus receives power supply from the secondary battery tosatisfy the required function. Charging of the secondary battery is alsoperformed in accordance with the power supply conditions in the powersystem. The charging operation of the secondary battery is controlled inthe basis of a power control signal from the power supply center 2.

“With Regard to Communication Device”

The communication device 10 includes a communication unit 11 a as afirst communication section that receives a power control signal via anetwork 12 from the power supply center 2 as the power supply side. Thecommunication device 10 includes a communication unit 11 b as a secondcommunication section that transmits a remote control signal thatremote-controls the power consumption of the electronic apparatuses 91to 9 n in accordance with the received power control signal. Further,although not illustrated, the communication device 10 has a controlsection or the like that controls the overall operation of thecommunication device 10 including the communication units 11 a and 11 b.

In schemes using radio waves, for example, the Bluetooth scheme, withthe communication unit 11 b serving as a master, the communication unit11 b can remote-control seven slaves (the electronic apparatuses 91 to 9n) that can be connected concurrently within 10 m around thecommunication unit 11 b. That is, the communication device 10 acts as amulti remote control. In the case of using the IEEE802.15.4 scheme,pairing is first established between the communication unit 11 b and acommunication unit in the electronic apparatus to be controlled.

An example of the communication device 10 is a portable telephone. Amongexisting portable telephones, those having the infrared communicationfunction and/or Bluetooth function have been put into practical use. Thesecond communication unit 11 b can be configured by making use of thisinfrared communication and/or Bluetooth function. It should be notedthat other than a portable telephone, the communication device 10 may beconfigured as a multi remote control commander.

A power control application (program) is downloaded and installed intothe communication device 10 in advance via the network 12 (portabletelephone network) and the communication unit 11 a. For example, aportable telephone can access the URL of the power supply center 2 todownload the application program. The power supply center 2 can identifyusers downloading the application program on the basis of informationunique to individual portable telephones (e.g. telephone number).Accordingly, by accumulating information on users who have downloadedthe power-limiting application program, it is possible to keep track ofthe approximate ratio of users who are using the power-limiting programwithin the coverage area of power supply, or provide servicesindividually to such users from the power supply side. In this case, thepower supply center 2 may be configured to receive the history ofexecuted power-limiting operations from the portable telephone. Forexample, a conceivable configuration is to keep track of the fact thatpower limitation has been executed on the basis of an acknowledgmentfrom the electronic apparatus side, and create history information onthe power limitation.

A plurality of channels are made available for transmitting remotecontrol signals. The user manipulates buttons while watching the screento set an apparatus (such as a television, lighting, an air conditioner,or a personal computer) and set the manufacturer of the apparatus for anunoccupied channel. Existing programs can be used for the substantialpart of the application program used for remote control. On/off controlof the power source can be applied to the power limitation. Control ofchanges to the temperature setting of an air conditioner can be appliedto the power limitation. Control of changes to the brightness setting oflighting can be applied to the power limitation. Control of changes tothe luminance of images on a television receiver can be applied to thepower limitation.

A power control signal is transmitted from the power supply center 2 viathe network 12 to the communication device 10 installed with the powercontrol application, for example, a portable telephone. Thecommunication device 10 generates an infrared or radio-wave remotecontrol signal for reducing power consumption of the electronicapparatuses 91 to 9 n in response to the received power control signal.The electronic apparatuses 91 to 9 n having received the remote controlsignal transitions from the normal power consumption mode to the lowpower consumption mode, thus forcing a reduction in power consumption inthe home 3. An indication of the fact that power limitation has beenexecuted is displayed on the screen of the portable telephone. In thecase of the portable telephone, power limitation cannot be executed whenthe user is carrying the portable telephone outdoors. This means that,conveniently, power limitation is executed only when the user is at homeand operating the electronic apparatus.

“Mode of Operation in First Example”

Operation in the first example is described with reference to FIG. 2.FIG. 2 illustrates an overview of the flow of communication processingexecuted between the communication device 10 and the power supply center2. The communication device 10 is, for example, a portable telephone,and the network 12 is a portable telephone network.

The user accesses the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the power supplycenter 2, and as indicated by step S1, an application transmitted fromthe power supply center 2 is downloaded by the communication unit 11 a(step S11). The application is downloaded for each individual electronicapparatus to be controlled. In this case, if it is desired to use theportable telephone as an ordinary remote control commander, anapplication including control items not related to power limitation isdownloaded. It should be noted, however, that an application limited toitems concerning power limitation may be downloaded.

Next, in step S12, the user opens a menu to make various settings. Anexample of the items to be set is given below.

-   -   Selection of the model of the electronic apparatus to be        controlled (kind and manufacturer of the apparatus)    -   Selection of the kind of communication (infrared, Bluetooth)    -   Active/inactive setting of the power-limiting function    -   Setting of a low power consumption mode according to the        apparatus to be controlled (e.g. the setting of temperature when        the electronic apparatus to be controlled is an air conditioner,        or a setting to lower the luminance in the case of a television        receiver)

On/Off control of the power source may be used as the low powerconsumption mode. However, this is not a very favorable scheme in thesense that if the power source is turned off, the apparatus cannot beused at all.

After settings are complete in the communication device 10, the powersupply center 2 transmits a power-limiting signal (step S2), and thecommunication unit 11 a of the communication device 10 receives thepower-limiting signal (step S13). The power supply center 2 can transmitthe same power-limiting signal to not only a specific one communicationdevice but also to a number of communication devices within a selectedarea. At the time of making settings, it is determined in step S14whether or not the power-limiting function is set active. If thepower-limiting function is set inactive, the processing ends (step S15).

If it is determined in step S14 that the power-limiting function is setactive, the application is started in step S16. In step S17, it isdetermined whether or not the kind of the communication that has beenset is infrared. If the kind of the communication is infrared, in stepS18, a power-limiting signal is transmitted to a target electronicapparatus via infrared communication by the communication unit 11 b. Ifthe kind of the communication is not infrared, in step S19, Bluetoothcommunication is performed by the communication unit 11 b.

Unless the communication device 10 exists within the user's own home,even when a power-limiting signal is transmitted, the power-limitingsignal is not delivered to the electronic apparatus of the other party.Thus, a power-limiting operation is not executed in actuality. Whetheror not a power-limiting operation has been actually executed can beconfirmed by two-way communication between the communication unit 11 band the electronic apparatus. A history indicating that thecommunication unit 11 b has transmitted a remote control signal forentering the low power consumption mode is stored in a non-volatilememory included in the communication device 10. On the basis of anacknowledgment signal from the electronic apparatus, a historyindicating that the lower power consumption mode has been actuallyentered is recorded.

History information stored in the communication device 10 is transmittedfrom the communication unit 11 a of the communication device 10 to thepower supply center 2 periodically or upon request from the power supplycenter 2 (step S20). The power supply center 2 receives the historyinformation (step S3). Then, the history information is analyzed (stepS4). For example, history information is managed for each individualuser, and information on the kind of power limitation that has beenexecuted can be obtained for each individual user. Such analysis resultscan be reflected on the power rates charged to users, for example.

[Power-Limiting Operation]

An example of power-limiting operation according to the first example isdescribed with reference to FIG. 3. In FIG. 3A, symbol 31 a denotes timevariation of total power consumption in a day. The total powerconsumption is estimated by the power supply side. The total powerconsumption is statistically calculated by taking variable factors suchas season and the number of consumers into consideration, without use ofany particular feedback information related to the actual powerconsumption from consumers such as homes. The value of the maximum powerconsumption is set as indicated by a broken line TG1, for example. Whena time period during which power consumption exceeds the set value isreached, a power control signal that limits power consumption istransmitted from the power supply center 2 to the communication device10 in each home. The remote control signal from the communication device10 causes the power consumption of an electronic apparatus within thehome to enter the low power consumption mode, thereby limiting the totalpower consumption as indicated by symbol 31 b.

In FIG. 3B, symbol 32 a denotes another example of time variation oftotal power consumption. As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the set value TG2 ofmaximum power consumption is set by taking typical changes in powerconsumption over time into consideration. In this case, when a timeperiod during which power consumption exceeds the set value TG2 ofmaximum power consumption is reached, a power control signal that limitspower consumption is transmitted from the power supply center 2 to thecommunication device 10 in each home. The remote control signal from thecommunication device 10 causes the power consumption of an electronicapparatus within the home to enter the low power consumption mode,thereby limiting the total power consumption as indicated by symbol 32b. Further, the set value of maximum power consumption may be made tovary in the same manner as the time variation of maximum powerconsumption. Further, the set value of maximum power consumption may beadapted to each individual user or each individual user group on thebasis of user information (address, age, occupation, etc.).

Second Example

Lately, HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles), EVs (Electric Vehicles), andPHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) are being developed, andmeasures to address increases in load with increase in the number ofthese automobiles using electrical energy are becoming necessary. Thesecond example can be applied to these measures.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, for example, power plants 11, 12, . . . , andpower supply centers 21, 22, . . . are installed for the respectiveareas (each indicated by a rectangle for simplicity) R1, R2, . . .covered by base stations 201, 202, . . . for portable telephones. Theareas R1, R2, are separated from each other by a center-to-centerdistance of about several km to several tens of km. Consumers 31, 32, .. . such as homes and office buildings are connected to the power plants11, 12, . . . , respectively. The power plants 11, 12, . . . (or thepower supply centers 21, 22, . . . ) are able to communication with eachother.

An automobile 40 using a PHEV scheme is able to communicate with thebase stations 201, 202, . . . , for example. The base stations 201, 202,. . . are, for example, base stations for portable telephones. As thecapacity of the secondary battery of the automobile 40 decreases andcharging becomes necessary, an inquiry about charging locations is madeto the power supply center 21 in the area R1 to which the automobile 40belongs. The current position of the automobile is located from theinquiry. The positional information need not be detailed but may be anyinformation as long as the area where the automobile is driving islocated.

The power supply center 21 having received the inquiry about charginglocations performs communication with the area R1 of the currentposition of the automobile 40, and the power supply centers 22, 23, 24,. . . in the surrounding adjacent areas R2, R3, R4, . . . , and acquiresinformation about total power consumptions in the respective areas.Then, information on charging facilities (including homes) in the areawith the least total power consumption is transmitted to the automobile.Alternatively, information on charging facilities in the area where apower plant with the greatest surplus supply power exists is transmittedto the automobile. The automobile 40 goes to the charging facilities inaccordance with the transmitted information, and performs charging. Inthis case, the distance between the current position of the automobile40 and the charging location may be taken into consideration.

3. Modifications

While the invention has been described in detail above, the invention isnot limited to the above-mentioned example, but various modificationsbased on the technical idea of the invention are possible. For example,the first communication unit 11 a of the communication device 10 maycommunicate with the power supply center via the Internet. Further, thefirst communication unit 11 a of the communication device 10 may includea receiver for FM (Frequency Modulation), AM (Amplitude Modulation), orboth. In cases where there is no need to exchange information in twoways, and it suffices to only receive information, the remote commandermay be controlled in a simple manner by carrying control information onan FM or AM radio wave.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   -   1 power plant    -   2 power supply center    -   3 home    -   91 to 9 n electronic apparatus    -   10 communication device    -   11 a first communication unit    -   11 b second communication unit    -   12 network

1. A power control method comprising the steps of: transmitting a power control signal that controls electric power via a wireless network, by a power supply center provided on a power supply side; receiving the power control signal, by a first communication section of a communication device provided on a demand side; and transmitting a remote control signal that remote-controls power consumption of one or a plurality of electronic apparatuses in accordance with the received power control signal, by a second communication section of the communication device.
 2. The power control method according to claim 1, wherein application data for generating the remote control signal with respect to the electronic apparatus to be controlled is received and stored in advance.
 3. The power control method according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is a portable telephone that has a function of performing communication by an infrared ray or a radio wave.
 4. The power control method according to claim 1, wherein whether or not to perform power control is set in advance.
 5. A communication device comprising: a first communication section that receives a power control signal from a power supply side via a wireless network; and a second communication section that transmits a remote control signal that remote-controls power consumption of one or a plurality of electronic apparatuses in accordance with the received power control signal.
 6. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein application data for generating the remote control signal with respect to the electronic apparatus to be controlled is received and stored in advance.
 7. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein the communication device is a portable telephone that has a function of performing communication by an infrared ray or a radio wave.
 8. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein whether or not to perform power control is set in advance.
 9. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein the first communication section receives the power control signal via an Internet.
 10. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein the remote control signal transmitted by the second communication section uses an infrared ray or a radio wave as a medium.
 11. A power control system comprising: a power supply center that is provided on a power supply side, and transmits a power control signal that controls electric power via a wireless network; and a communication device that is provided on a demand side, and includes a first communication section that receives the power control signal, and a second communication section that transmits a remote control signal that remote-controls power consumption of one or a plurality of electronic apparatuses in accordance with the received power control signal. 